JANUARY
First Night/First Day Celebrations
Statewide
For auld lang syne, join the party
during the Commonwealth’s New
Year’s Day celebrations!
boston-discovery-guide.com
Boston Wine Festival 2018
Boston
An all-star lineup of passionate
winemakers, hosted dinners, seminars,
and receptions.
bostonwinefestival.net
FEBRUARY
Beanpot Hockey Tournament
Boston
A college hockey annual classic that
features Boston College, Boston
University, Harvard University, and
Northeastern University.
beanpothockey.com
Lowell Winterfest
Lowell, Greater Merrimack Valley
An annual festival weekend in
downtown Lowell, featuring carousels,
free ice-skating, and an all-you-can-eat
chocolate festival.
lowellwinterfest.com
MARCH
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Boston
The traditional celebration of St.
Patrick’s Day in South Boston.
southbostonparade.org
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Holyoke, Western Massachusetts
The traditional celebration of St.
Patrick’s Day since 1952.
holyokestpatricksparade.com
APRIL
JazzBoston Week
Boston
A celebration of live jazz with
performers in dozens of venues in
Boston and Cambridge.
jazzboston.org
Boston Red Sox Opening Day
Boston
Red Sox open the season against
Tampa Bay on April 5, and it will be the
start of a 10-game home stand.
boston.redsox.mlb.com
Patriot’s Day
Lexington & Concord, Merrimack Valley
Thousands will flock to famous
Lexington and Concord, and Minute
Man National Historic Park for a reenactment
commemorating the
anniversary of the Battle of Lexington.
lexingtonma.gov
Boston Marathon
Hopkinton to Boston
First-class athletes will compete for
fun and worthy causes during the
world’s oldest annual marathon.
baa.org
Daffodil Festival
Nantucket, Cape & Islands
A festival where thousands of daffodils
in full bloom are on display up and
down Nantucket’s roads and bike
paths.
daffodilfestival.com
Artweek MA
Statewide
An annual award-winning innovative
festival featuring hundreds of unique
and creative experiences.
artweekma.org
MAY
Nantucket Wine Festival
Nantucket, Cape & Islands
A festival highlighting Nantucket’s
community and celebrating its
flavorful wine culture and unique
island style.
nantucketwinefestival.com
Northampton Pride
Northampton, Western Massachusetts
An event celebrating the spirit and
strength of the LGBT communities in
Western Massachusetts.
nohopride.org
Brimfield Antique Show
Brimfield, Western Massachusetts
The largest outdoor antiques show in
the world, with over 6,000 dealers and
130,000+ visitors throughout the week
takes place in May, July, and
September.
brimfieldshow.com
Boston’s Annual Duckling Day
Boston
Each year Boston celebrates the
children’s book Make Way for Ducklings
by Robert McCloskey with marching
bands, and costumed characters from
the story.
friendsofthepublicgarden.org
JUNE
Boston Harborfest
Boston
A 36-year-old tradition celebrating
Boston’s iconic harbor and its rich
history.
bostonharborfest.com
Boston Pride Parade
Boston
Boston Pride celebrates diversity,
equality, inclusivity, respect, and
awareness in Greater Boston and
beyond.
bostonpride.org
For more events in Massachusetts, visit:
massvacation.com/events Page 2 of 2
SIGNATURE EVENTS 2018
Nantucket Film Festival
Nantucket, Cape & Islands
An ode to the art of screenwriting on
the beautiful island of Nantucket.
nantucketfilmfestival.org
JULY
Boston Pops 4th of July
Boston
An American Independence Day
tradition, the Boston Pops Fireworks
Spectacular is free, open to the public,
and held at the DCR Hatch Shell on the
Esplanade.
bostonpopsjuly4th.org
Green River Festival
Greenfield, Western Massachusetts
A celebration of world class music,
with great local craft-makers, food &
drinks, and lots of family activities.
greenriverfestival.com
AUGUST
August Moon Festival
Quincy, Greater Boston
A celebration that historically reaches
an attendance of well over 10,000,
where guests will gather to enjoy
traditional and contemporary
performances.
quincyasianresources.org
Gloucester Waterfront Festival
Gloucester, North of Boston
A festival where over 200 artisans,
authors, musicians, craftspeople, and
food vendors from throughout the
United States will display and sell their
American made works.
capeannchamber.com
SEPTEMBER
Topsfield Fair
Topsfield, North of Boston
The oldest agricultural fair in the US
celebrates its 200th Anniversary in
2018.
topsfieldfair.org
Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival
Boston
Boston’s biggest block party—a free,
annual, outdoor public concert that
has delighted hundreds of thousands
of music lovers over the years.
berklee.edu/beantownjazz
The Big E
Springfield, Western Massachusetts
The Eastern States Expo, known as
“New England’s Great State fair,” is
the largest agricultural event on the
eastern seaboard and the seventhlargest
fair in the nation.
thebige.com
OCTOBER
Oyster Festival
Wellfleet, Cape & Islands
An annual celebration of the town’s
famous oysters, clams, and its deeprooted
shell fishing traditions.
wellfleetspat.org
Cranberry Harvest Celebration
Wareham, South of Boston
Celebrate a New England tradition and
learn about the cranberry harvest at
this family-friendly annual event.
admakepeace.com
Haunted Happenings
Salem, North of Boston
A month-long celebration,
encompassing everything from familyfriendly
magic shows, to costume
balls, psychic readings, haunted harbor
cruises, ghost tours, and more.
hauntedhappenings.org
Head of the Charles Regatta
Boston
A two-day rowing competition where
the world’s best crew teams row to
the banks of the Charles River.
hocr.org
HubWeek
Boston
A multi-day ideas festival, with live art
experiences, a massive startup
showcase, exhibits, parties, and more.
hubweek.org
NOVEMBER
Cider Days
Franklin County, Western Massachusetts
A full program of workshops and
tastings, uniting professional cider
makers, interested tasters, novices,
and zealots.
ciderdays.org
America’s Hometown Thanksgiving
Celebration
Plymouth, South of Boston
A celebration of Thanksgiving, bringing
history to life as Pilgrims, Native
Americans, Soldiers, Patriots, and
Pioneers proudly walk out of the past
and onto the streets of Plymouth.
usathanksgiving.com
DECEMBER
Nantucket Christmas Stroll
Nantucket, Cape & Islands
Carolers in period costume, along with
bell ringers, and student choirs serenate
on Main Street.
christmasstroll.com
Heritage Museum Gardens Aglow
Sandwich, Cape & Islands
A treasured holiday family tradition
which transforms the grounds of the
museum with more than twelve miles
of holiday lights.
heritagemuseumsandgardens.org